Following on from Thai lesson 1, where I Â gave you a set of useful phrases for traveling in Thailand, we are going to focus on asking for directions and how to say the names of specific places.
Remember to keep putting the polite “Khrup” (sometimes sounds more like “cup”) for a man, and “ka” (sounds like “kar”) for a woman at the end of your sentences.
For example: “Khun ja pai nai khrup/ka” (where are you going?).
As foreign speakers, this is extremely important, not just because it's polite but because it shows we are being respectful of the language and learning to speak Thai in a formal, proper manner.
Note that Thai people often shorten sentences, rarely saying all the words. For example: “Khun ja pai nai khrup” may become “Pai nai khrup”.
As a foreigner, however, Â it is better that you get used to forming the whole sentence first, and then once your pronunciation and understanding of the language gets better, you can begin speaking in a more colloquial way. You should still use “khrup/ka”, though.
One more note for this lesson, and something a few readers have mentioned, is that Thais often put “na” in front of ‘khrup' and ‘ka'. For example, “Khop khun mak na khrup” (thank you very much).
“Na” is what I like to call a sentence sweetener. It is a way of expressing oneself in a somewhat more sincere way. Careful though, as overdoing its usage can comes across as a little false.
You don't need to worry about using ‘na' at this stage, but I thought I'd point it out as you're bound to come across this soon.
Photo credit: Eirik Uhlen
Useful Directions to Know In Thai:
Notes: Male speakers use Phom (âIâ), and female speakers use âChanâ. Male speakers use âkhrupâ at the end of a sentence, and female speakers use âkaâ.
1. I want to go to Siam Paragon
Phom dong gan pai Siam Paragon Khrup/ka/ –Â āļāļĄāļāđāļāļāļāļēāļĢāđāļāļŠāļĒāļēāļĄāļāļēāļĢāļēāļāđāļāļāļāļĢāļąāļ/ āļāđāļ°
2. How do I get to the Grand Palace?
Phom ja pai Wat Pra Keow dai yang rai khrup/ka / – āļāļĄāļāļ°āđāļāļ§āļąāļāļāļĢāļ°āđāļāđāļ§āđāļāđāļāļĒāđāļēāļāđāļĢāļāļĢāļąāļ/ āļāļ°
3. Where is the post office?Â
Prai-sanee yu thi nai khrup/ka / – āđāļāļĢāļĐāļāļĩāļĒāđāļāļĒāļđāđāļāļĩāđāđāļŦāļāļāļĢāļąāļ/ āļāļ°
4. Where is the toilet?
Hong nam yu thi nai khrup/ka / – āļŦāđāļāļāļāđāļģāļāļĒāļđāđāļāļĩāđāđāļŦāļāļāļĢāļąāļ/āļāļ°
5. How far is the beach from here?
Chai we la gee nathi pai talay khrup/ka / –Â āđāļāđāđāļ§āļĨāļēāļāļĩāđāļāļēāļāļĩāđāļāļāļ°āđāļĨāļāļĢāļąāļ/ āļāļ°
6. Can I walk, or do I need to take a taxi?
Phom sa mert dern pai, ruu, chai lot taxi khrup/ka? /-Â āļāļĄāļŠāļēāļĄāļēāļĢāļāđāļāļīāļāđāļāļŦāļĢāļ·āļāđāļāđāļĢāļāđāļāđāļāļāļĩāđāļāļĢāļąāļ/ āļāļ°
7. Turn left
Leiyo sai khrup/ka / – āđāļĨāļĩāđāļĒāļ§āļāđāļēāļĒāļāļĢāļąāļ/āļāđāļ°
8. Turn right
Leyio kwaa (khrup/ka)Â / – āđāļĨāļĩāđāļĒāļ§āļāļ§āļēāļāļĢāļąāļ/āļāđāļ°
9. Keep going straight ahead
Drong pai ruay ruay khrup/ka / – āļāļĢāļāđāļāđāļĢāļ·āđāļāļĒāđāļĢāļ·āđāļāļĒāļāļĢāļąāļ / āļāđāļ°
10. Please stop here
Jod tee nee khrup/ka / – āļāļāļāļāļĩāđāļāļĩāđāļāļĢāļąāļ/āļāđāļ°
11. Please slow down
Ga-ru-na cha cha noi khrup/ka / – āļāļĢāļļāļāļēāļāđāļēāļāđāļēāļŦāļāđāļāļĒāļāļĢāļąāļ/āļāđāļ°
12. Please turn around
Ga-ru-na han lang glap duai khrup/ka / – āļāļĢāļļāļāļēāļŦāļąāļāļŦāļĨāļąāļāļāļĨāļąāļāļāđāļ§āļĒāļāļĢāļąāļ/āļāđāļ°
13. Please reverse
Ga-ru-na toy lang khrup/ka / – āļāļĢāļļāļāļēāļāļāļĒāļŦāļĨāļąāļāļāļĢāļąāļ/āļāđāļ°
14. Be careful!
Ra wang khrup/ka / – āļĢāļ°āļ§āļąāļāļāļĢāļąāļ/āļāđāļ°
15. Please pick me up at 7 pm
Ga-ru-na ma rub phom, neung thum drong khrup/ka / – āļāļĢāļļāļāļēāļĄāļēāļĢāļąāļāļāļĄāļŦāļāļķāđāļāļāļļāđāļĄ āļāļĢāļāļāļĢāļąāļ/āļāđāļ°
Useful Places to Know In Thai:
1. Airport
Sanam bin / āļŠāļāļēāļĄāļāļīāļ
2. Bus station
Sa-tanee rot bus / āļŠāļāļēāļāļĩāļĢāļāļāļąāļŠ
3. Railway station
Sa-tanee rot fai / āļŠāļāļēāļāļĩāļĢāļāđāļ
4. Police station
Sa-tanee tum ruad / āļŠāļāļēāļāļĩāļāļģāļĢāļ§āļ
5. Hotel
Rong raem / āđāļĢāļāđāļĢāļĄ
6. Embassy
Sa-tan thut / āļŠāļāļēāļāļāļđāļ
7. Hospital
Rong payabaan / āđāļĢāļāļāļĒāļēāļāļēāļĨ
8. Post office
Prai-sanee / āđāļāļĢāļĐāļāļĩāļĒāđ
9. Market
Dtalad / āļāļĨāļēāļ
10. Cinema
Rong nang / āđāļĢāļāļŦāļāļąāļ
11. Shopping centre
Hang sappa sinka / āļŦāđāļēāļāļŠāļĢāļĢāļāļŠāļīāļāļāđāļē
12. Beach
Talay / āļāļ°āđāļĨ
13. Restaurant
Raan ahaan / āļĢāđāļēāļāļāļēāļŦāļēāļĢ
14. Swimming Pool
Sra wai nam / āļŠāļĢāļ°āļ§āđāļēāļĒāļāđāļģ
15. Gym
Hong ork gam lang gai / āļŦāđāļāļāļāļāļāļāļģāļĨāļąāļāļāļēāļĒ (Thai people often just say âfitnessâ, with less emphasis on the âssâ than we would put.Â
Helpful Advice
I have tried to translate the Thai script using the English alphabet as closely as I can to the sound of the Thai words (transliteration). Transliteration is a type of conversion of a text from one script to another that involves swapping letters in predictable ways.
You will come across slightly different ways of spelling words, either written by teachers or in books. It really doesn't matter too much about the spelling, only that the word is very close to how it should sound in Thai and that you understand what is being said.
As one of my regular readers pointed out in the comments section of Thai Talk lesson 1, there are 5 tones in the Thai language that assist in defining the meaning of a word, separating it from other similarly pronounced words.
There are 5 tones to learn, and if you can't read Thai script yet you won't properly understand how these tones affect the sound of the word.
But don't worry for now. Just follow the Thai speaker in the videos I have provided and get used to pronouncing the words like a native speaker.
Once you start writing Thai script, everything will come together in a a series of many ‘lightbulb moments'.
The best advice I can give you is to get out there and start practicing the phrases and words from the lessons I have given so far. And as I always say, Thai people will be more than happy to help you perfect the tone and sound of the phrase/word you are trying to say.
If you haven't done so already, register a free account with ThaiPod101 for some great free audio and video lesson you can learn on the fly.
Now Click here for Thai Talk part 3!